Written by

Mike Brehm
| USA Today Sports

With the New York Rangers facing negotiations with restricted free agents that could push them much closer to the $69 million salary cap, they found a cheap option at center on Wednesday.

The team agreed to terms with former NHL player Matthew Lombardi, who had spent the past season in Switzerland. It's a two-year, $1.6 million contract for a cap hit of $800,000.

That figure is important because the Rangers are now less than $14 million under the salary cap and still have to sign forwards Mats Zuccarello, Derick Brassard and Chris Kreider, plus defenseman John Moore. The three forwards have ...